On July 31, Ismail Haniyeh, a senior leader of Hamas, was killed in Tehran. Just a day earlier, an Israeli airstrike killed a Hezbollah commander in the suburbs of Beirut. Leah Hickert speaks with Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, about how these events may continue to escalate, and their potential impact on the Israel-Hamas war. A new ... Show More
May 2025
Babel Special: Jon Alterman's Next Chapter
This week on a special edition of Babel, Will Todman speaks with Jon Alterman, the creator of Babel and the show’s host since it began in 2019. They discuss Jon’s reflections on 22 years directing the CSIS Middle East Program, his analysis of how the Middle East policy ecosystem ... Show More
34m 59s
May 2025
Mohanad Hage Ali: Hezbollah and the Captagon Trade
This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Dr. Mohanad Hage Ali, deputy director for research at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. Mohanad's latest paper for Carnegie investigates the rise of a new form of drug smuggling in Lebanon. Together, they discuss Hezbollah’s i ... Show More
50m 16s
May 2025
Analysis: Will Trump’s Houthi Deal Stick?
On Tuesday, May 6, President Trump declared that the United States would immediately halt its bombing of Houthi targets, bringing an end to months of intensified U.S. strikes across Yemen. The president linked the policy reversal to what he described as the Iran-backed Houthis’ c ... Show More
6m 13s
Sep 2024
Hassan Nasrallah’s killing and Mexico’s leadership change
Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary-general of Hezbollah, was killed in a huge Israeli air attack on Beirut. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, says that the assassination will change the balance of power in the region. What happens next? Also in the programme: Mexico bids ... Show More
1h 3m
Oct 4
Is peace in Gaza within reach?
The U.S. president tells Israel to stop bombing the strip. Now, negotiations will seek to implement the plan. So, are they likely to work? And can the war finally come to an end? In this episode: Mouin Rabbani - Researcher, Analyst and Co-Editor of Jadaliyya. Yossi Mekelberg - Po ... Show More
18m 21s
Aug 27
MIDEAST & BEYOND: IS THIS THE END OF THE PALESTINIAN STATE DREAM? GAZA SIEGE, IRAN COLLAPSE & PROPHETIC SHAKEUP
In this episode of MidEast & Beyond, Amir Tsarfati and Pastor Barry Stagner break down the global consequences of Gaza’s collapse, Hamas’ exposure, and Israel’s unprecedented response.With the siege of Gaza City underway, hostages testifying to Hamas’ cruelty, and Iran’s proxies ... Show More
58m 8s
Sep 28
Brief: Netanyahu at UN, Lebanon marks Nasrallah assassination
This week: Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the UN General Assembly as Israel continued its destruction of Gaza City. Lebanon marked one year since Israel's assassination of Hassan Nasrallah. It is day 723 of the war on Gaza, where more than 65,926 Palestinians have been killed. In t ... Show More
6m 2s